Ukraine has launched six American-made ATACMS missiles at Russia’s Bryansk region, according to Russia’s Defense Ministry on Tuesday. This marks the first use of US-supplied missiles since US President Joe Biden eased restrictions, allowing Ukraine to strike deeper into Russian territory.
The Ukrainian General Staff reported that it successfully hit a military weapons depot in Bryansk, claiming multiple explosions were heard in the targeted area. However, Ukraine did not specify the type of weapons used in the strike.
In a statement released by Russian news agencies, the Russian Defense Ministry confirmed that its air defense systems shot down five of the ATACMS missiles while damaging a sixth. The fragments from the missiles fell onto a military facility, sparking a fire. The ministry reported no casualties or significant damage from the missile debris.
This attack comes days after President Biden lifted restrictions on Ukrainian use of American-made weapons, authorizing longer-range strikes in response to the deployment of North Korean troops by Russia. Despite the claims from both sides, independent verification of the events remains unconfirmed.
The missile strike follows a series of devastating Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilian areas. On Tuesday, Ukrainian officials reported the third Russian strike in three days, killing at least 12 people, including a child. The strike, using a Shahed drone, hit a dormitory in Hlukhiv, a town in northern Ukraine’s Sumy region. It wounded 11 others, including two children, and left several people trapped under rubble.
Earlier Russian missile attacks targeted residential areas, including a missile strike on Sunday in Sumy that killed 11 people and wounded 84. On Monday, a missile barrage in Odesa caused fires in apartment buildings, resulting in at least 10 deaths and 43 injuries.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned Russia’s actions, accusing President Vladimir Putin of prolonging the war. “Each new attack by Russia only confirms Putin’s true intentions. He wants the war to continue. Talks about peace are not interesting to him. We must force Russia to a just peace by force,” Zelenskyy stated.
The ongoing violence underscores the intensifying conflict as both sides push for dominance in the war that has now entered its 1,000th day.
